AT&T opens second interactive store in Virginia

AT&T has opened a second interactive store in Virginia in Newport News that lets customers interact with the latest technology.

The 5,000-square-foot store at the Tech Center, a mixed-use development at 12080 Jefferson Ave., is among a handful of stores across the country where customers can check out devices across three zones. The company’s first Virginia interactive store is located in Charlottesville.

The three zones are:

The Connected Experience Zone, which shows how products can be used everyday. It highlights music, home security, entertainment and more.

The Community Zone, where visitors can shop and play at interactive “community tables.” It displays apps, accessories and devices so customers can see how they can work together.

The Explore Zone where walls show a variety of AT&T’s devices and accessories next to digital monitors explaining how they work.

“Shoppers at our Newport News store will have an interactive experience that fits their mobile lifestyle,” Cristy Swink, vice president and general manager for AT&T Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement.

Instead of cash-register counters, customers will find round café-style “learning tables” where they can chat with an AT&T retail consultant or ask questions to learn about a product or service.

The store, with a staff of 11 employees, represents about a $1 million investment. According to the company, AT&T invested nearly $950 million in its Virginia wireless and wireline networks from 2011-2013.